Vide Grenier 2018

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This is one of the nicest days of the year in Crozet, the Vide Grenier. And it has become a tradition for me to draw it! 4th year already, three of them sunny. I've been lucky!
Great ambience, lots of known people, drawing, chatting... I just love it.

Jus de Pomme

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This morning we were selling apple juice with the Crozet Ski Club, to gather money to finance the children's activities. The juice was made by some of the parents, with apples from the region, and it was really good! Kids sold, adults talked, and I sketched. 

Moments to sketch

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I sketch in my "dead" moments. Others read, look at their phones or stare through a window. During the school year, these come while having to wait somewhere while they do an activity. Today, while my daughter was in her dance class, I went to the bank, then I sketched one of the musicians playing drums!

Vide grenier 2017

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Another year, another vide grenier in Crozet! 
And, for the second year in a row, under a beautiful sun!

(If you don't remember what a vide grenier is, I invite you to check last year's entry, where I explain it in detail.)

This year, as usual, the night before I planned to get there very early, at first hour. And as usual, reality was way more relaxed and we only got there at around 10:30 in the morning. We walked around, got a little dinosaur for our youngest kid, and then I just looked for a spot to draw while my daughter had some fun with her old school friends and my husband and the two boys walked our dog back home. 

Drawing in the vide grenier is always funny, because there's lots of people who come by, comment, and give me nice conversation. The most eager talkers are children!

 After this first sketch we've grabbed some food at the buvette (the bar) for lunch. At the vide grenier, food is cooked by Crozet's grannies, and there are also hot dogs for the kids, so the choice to stay is easy! After lunch, I've stayed a bit longer for another quick sketch while my family went back home. 

Next week, La Foulée, and also the Arts Association in Crozet annual exhibition! :)

Empanadas y bizcochitos de grasa

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The afternoon before our trip to Jujuy is one of my best memories. A moment full of illusion and expectation for the adventure to come, everyone eager, our hearts full of plans and ready to live the experience we were about to share. Because for me and for my sister, traveling like this with our families, all together, was a dream that was finally coming true. And as reality is, it wasn't perfect, but it was perfect in its own :)

While packing, my sister prepared empanadas of meat and of cheese for our trip, and also "bizcochitos de grasa", an Argentinian speciality not as known as empanadas and alfajores but so so good as well. They are like salty cookies made with cow's grease instead of butter or oil. And, once you start eating one, well, you can't stop.

And there, in that moment, we shared a coffee, Djas cooked, I drew, and my son Bruno dreamed of the flavors those wonderful smells would bring to.

Argentina

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It is already a week since we came back from our family holiday to Argentina, and it is now when I find everything I need to post the first entry. Because it is not only time that I need, but also to put in order my head, and to find some calm. Going back to Argentina is not like going to anywhere else in the world, but it is going back to my origins, to understand many things, to confront many others, to see the family, and, in this occasion, also to travel around the country.

I have many drawings from this three week trip. I don't think I will share all of them, I also do not have a specific plan to share them. So I will just post what I feel like when I feel like, and see what it comes out of it. But anyway, today, I will start from the beginning.


The trip

We flew to Buenos Aires from Geneva via Frankfurt, two planes, and in the end making a 24 hour trip from our house door in Crozet, to my sister's Djas home, in Buenos Aires. Because the secret to draw in a trip is to start drawing right away, I did a few drawings already at the airport.

View from the Airport Gate in Geneva.
Everyone is so excited, and I wonder where my husband is.

As always at stations, trains, or I should say everywhere, people at the gate were taken away by their phones, and not at all aware that I was drawing them!

In the first flight I took a seat in the corridor, so I could draw some more. I've done this kind of sketch before, and I always like it. My children behaved wonderfully and I could draw with no interruption.

It took another flight to get to Buenos Aires. Then a huge line in immigration, and then some traffic from the airport to the city. But finally we made it to my sister's house. But that was another day, and so it will be another day here :)

Rehearsal of the Echo du Reculet

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It's been a while since the last time, but today I was back to sketch one of the rehearsals of the Echo du Reculet. Some of the people that I sketched before are not there anymore, some are still and forever playing their instruments, others joined not so long ago. But again it was such a pleasure to sketch listening to their music. Thanks for a lovely evening, Echo du Reculet :)

Click on the image to view it larger.

Picnicando

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With the good weather, picnic and barbecue season is open! Today we've been at La Perle du Lac, in Geneva, with friends. It was so hot we even took a swim in the lake Léman. This is one of the views we had from where we were sitting, the Musée d'Historie des Sciences, and some people sunbathing and I'd say melting under that strong midday sun!

Drawing in London VI: People!

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Traveling with other people who's not sketching, the best moment to draw is usually while commuting. And that's what I did. Sketch people in the train, in the tube, from the airport, to the airport, from the house, to the house... 

Usually sketching people from that close is challenging, because you never know how they will take it if they notice, but I should say that in the train they were mostly all so deeply taken by their screens that they didn't notice a thing. Only one, the second day, he was reading, and with his smile invited me to continue drawing.

So here a small sample of the people in London :)

People in the train, going back home the first day, and to the Harry Potter studios the day after: 

Women in the train to London Bridge, the last day.

PEOPLE IN THE TRAIN,

They look at their phones...

while I draw them

WHO IS HAVING MORE FUN?

A couple of men going to work, in the same train, after I had changed seats looking for some more models...

People in the tube, Piccadilly line to Heathrow, also the last day. We headed towards the airport at around 16:30h, and the tube was full ;)

And, to finish, a little riddle for these two last sketches which are actually in the same double page of my sketchbook:

More people in the tube
All of them looking
   at their phones....
EXCEPT ONE!

Can YOU guess WHO??

And this ends my London series... until next time!

Drawing in London IV

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Day 2, 18 April 2017 was THE day for our girls: we were visiting the Harry Potter Studios! With the trip and everything else, we had little time in the city, just for a quick but nice beer in a pub close to the theatre where, already in the evening, we enjoyed The Lion King Musical.

So, not many drawings that day, but a great day nevertheless :)

Drawing in London II

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Continuing with previous entry, day 1 of my girls trip to London early this week. I had to think this last sentence because yes, it was early this week but it already feels like I was there eons ago! How quickly do we reintegrate into our lives, it is just amazing.

So I had left it all inside the tube, from Heathrow to London, on day 1.
When we arrived in the city, first we had to put our little luggage somewhere safe and somewhere where we would not have to carry it around. After, we walked towards the city. Just by chance, we arrived in the Buckingham Palace and there were lots of people around for the Guards change. In all the times I'd been in London before I'd never been there to see that! (Maybe, next time, I'll get to draw it as well... ;) )

After the show, we continued walking through St James Park, had lunch, and arrived to The Big Ben and then YES!, I told my trip friends to go ahead without me for a quick glance to the Thames, and I stayed there. Finally, my first sketch in London!

They were back just as I was finishing, and we took a double-decker bus to Trafalgar Square. The bus was real quick, but our girls were so happy to be sitting in the top front of the mythical red bus. Just as we arrived, Maitane and Anouk climbed into the lions in Nelson's column, and I took a moment to sketch while Rebecca took pictures.

You can see the day was actually quite fresh and very cloudy. After lunch in the park we were still cold so we headed to Covent Garden for a hot drink. Drawing there was not possible, but, dear London, I will be back!

The day came to its end and it was time to go home. Our friend's brother and sister in law (and uncle and auntie) were so nice to take us in, and as always, we profited of a trip on a double-decker bus, with our two girls in the front. You won't believe it, but they managed to be in the front line in all of the buses we took!

Drawing in London I

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These three last days I left the mountains and villages that typically surround me for a quick and intense trip to London. I wasn't alone, but I did what I could and sketched any moment possible. Because it is not always that I can sketch in a big city with lots of people!!

I tried to sketch quickly to not make others wait for me, but my trip partners (my daughter, a friend of hers and her mother) were also very understanding and willing to let me draw. Thank you, girls!!

I documented this trip with a total 18 sketches, that I will be sharing in various days, as all of them would probably make too many for a single entry. 

First day: Monday 17/04/17

Before Getting to London

The trip started early on Easter Monday morning. And nothing to start better a trip, than to sketch its first moments!

Arriving at the airport before dusk, we got to see how the sun started raising behind the planes before starting our trip. Security was full with a huge line, but then people dispersed around and there was quite a good silence at the airport gate. I guess that 7 am is too early to talk much...

After a few moments we were embarking already. Plane was not full, so I could take a corridor seat to sketch. How lucky is that?

In the plane to Heathrow :

The flight Geneva - London takes about an 1h 45min, it is not that long... but I am not such a good waiting person. I get impatient after a few moments when I cannot move around. So when I finished the sketch I was really eager to arrive! 

And finally, we were almost there, we landed, we passed the passport control, and took the tube to London!

Here, in the tube, which at that moment I felt it moved like crazy. Then I think I got used to it. The two people in first plane are my daughter's friend and her mother. Then, a man was standing up behind, looking at his phone. And yes, people do look a lot at their phones while commuting, and most do not realise at all I am sketching them ;)

More drawings from London... tomorrow!! 

Back in Gex

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For various reasons, it's been a while since I been drawing in Gex on a Wednesday afternoon. Today, happily for me, I was back!! And because I was so eager and drawing fast, I was done well before having to pick my daughter up, and could sketch some of the other people who were also waiting for their significant ones. Two in one, I couldn't ask for more!

First, I dropped my daughter and went to the Promenade des Bergers Journans, a path that goes parallel to a little river (yes, Le Journans, you guessed it!). It is full of nature around, but just going down the steps to access the area I was captivated by the view of the chaotic old houses in Gex, and I stop right there to draw them...

When I was done I still had more than half an hour left. I decided to take it easy and wait for my daughter in the hall of the MJC, where she is taking her theatre classes. Over there, I found some others that were also early as I was. Some looked around, others at their phone, a young girl was reading a book... and me myself, I had a very productive afternoon! ;)

Marché de Divonne

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Today it's been, so far, a wonderful day. Sunny, bright, and full of things I like to do. After a good hike with my husband and my dog, I've been sketching in Divonne's market while my dad walked around and took some pictures. It has been a year now, since the last time I was in the marché de Divonne, and it is for me a tradition, to go with my father, usually around Christmas, to draw. This year it has been delayed a bit, but we managed anyway.

The market was full of people, and as it is tradition in France, people hanged out in small tables, having a cup of white wine with fresh oysters. Some of them came along, and they were happy to recognise themselves in my sketch. And they were nice enough to give me some conversation and a cup of wine!

And some pictures of the ambience, courtesy of my dad

Ski race

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Today in La Faucille my daughter has participated in her first ski race. I've been there to sketch this special moment :)

First sketch: while she went with her friends and trainer to "recognise" the slope, I invited my father to a coffee. I sketched the cafeteria just for the sake of doing one sketch, my only one today, without my hands freezing...

Second sketch: we arrive to the arrival line. My hands are already cold. The slope is very long (slalom géant) and I don't even see its upper end. In the arrival line there's a small hatch for the commenters. People is checking and validating the slope before the race starts. We discover my daughter was put in the boys group... but no problem, she will run with the girls :)

Third sketch: the organising Club has prepared a small bar (buvette) where they sell crêpes, hot dogs, and hot drinks like tea and hot wine.

Last sketch: My hands have frozen by now. My daughter has already run her first race, we are waiting for the second. This is the view from where the race ends.

And here myself taken by my father....

And a special bonus: the happy skier!

Frozen watercolors

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Today I somehow forgot how cold it is, and thought, oh, I'll go and sketch a bit before my daughter comes back from ski. So off I went. And yes, today, not only my feet were frozen, but at -5C, you can well imagine that also the water of my watercolors was quickly becoming ice in my sketch! I didn't have to decide when the drawing was done, that was the moment when my pencil was totally frozen!!

This is the small crêperie at the foot of the télécabine in Crozet, where all children line up to get their hot chocolate crêpes after a good afternoon skiing. Next time I'll bring the owner a copy, and maybe he will offer me a hot drink in exchange, since today I'd forgotten my wallet!

Waiting... 

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When you pass almost every afternoon driving your daughter around to her various activities, and have to wait for her to finish because driving back home and then again to pick her up is not a possibility... well, you do what you can to make time go faster!

The first entry of 2017

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It seems an obvious name for this entry but it really suits it. Because we just started the year and we put the counter to zero and suddenly everything we usually do becomes "the first time". So yes, this is the first time I write in the blog in 2017. The first time I post a drawing. The first time I went back to bring my daughter to her dance class. Also the first time I stayed because I have no time to go back home, do something useful, and come back. For all of these, the first time, but in 2017. Now a real first time: the first time I drew someone in her class!

Today I had a lot of envy to draw. And I passed the day in the mountain and brought my stuff with me. But it was so cold and windy that stopping even for few minutes seemed impossible (I even had my sandwich walking!). So when I brought my daughter to her class and had to wait there, well, it was obvious what to do. I usually don't draw there because my subjects are too far away... but then, this was the first of first so no excuses!

My daughter takes African Dance lessons. And this is one of the drummers playing in her class, so cool! 

Happy New Year to you all! 

Mothers Talking

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Thursday evening, waiting for my daughter to finish her dance class, other mothers were waiting too :) They were talking, I was quickly sketching them.

Experimenting

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Wednesday afternoon. Gex. It is a bit too humid and rainy, and I feel lazy to draw outside. I go to a bar, and I try something else. Once there I think it is funny how often I drew in bars during my youth, and how little I get to do it now. So I enjoy the moment. It is early afternoon and the bar is calm. There's only few people who seem to be the habituals, as the bartender seems to know everyone by their name. Almost everyone watches the horse races displayed in the TV, and one of the clients wins 4 euros. Then is time for me to go. I ask the lady, and she kindly stamps my sketch. 

As a side note: This is an example on how inspiration works. Because without yesterday's drawing, I probably wouldn't have thought of trying this today ;)